Applying for a Startup? Ask These Questions During The Interview!

Applying for an early-stage startup? Chances are, it will be easy for you to get the job. However, won’t it a little bit risky to work there? Well, you can reduce the jitters on the job interview!

There’s a huge chance you’ll meet the startup founders. If they ask “Do you have any questions for me?”. Yes, you do. You need to know their values and goals. If you are a pro, you might have a sense whether the startup will fail or not.

Thus, apart from preparing to answer interview questions, you also need to prepare questions for the startup you are applying for. This is a crucial opportunity to learn about the startup. Here are the questions you should be asking:

What is the biggest risk to the startup?

Most startup founders are (sometimes over) confident about their own company. Yet, they need to be aware of the obstacles on the journey they might be facing. If the founder don’t have any ideas what could be their biggest risk, how certain can you be on helping them in the process? Evaluate the startup, it will help you to decide the future of your career.

Here are also the clues (if you also have no idea what risks are): risks come in all shapes and sizes. The founder could answer anything like money, competitors, or product execution. Their answer could give a clear direction on the startup’s focus area. You’ll get a sense of what’s going on behind the curtain.

How is this startup monetize?

This is such an important question, yet rarely asked by job candidates. You need to be sure that the startup will continue to grow, or if they are falling off the road. There’s a different level of risk between the startup that have enough capital for two years in the future and the startup that is in the near end of its funding. The latter is the kind of startup which needs to get a new investment soon, in order to continue operating and survive.

Don’t risk yourself to join the startup who doesn’t even have a comprehensive monetize plan.

How is the startup current growth?

Are the startup’s products or services that people actually want or need? Make sure you know the company’s growth rate,it will give you a sneak peek about plenty of factors that are going on in the startup. Such as if they need more experienced management team, or are they targeting the right market.

How do you imagine the startup success?

Do try to understand the founders’ general direction. Are they into money? Or simply want to be helpful for their country? Whatever it is, it will affect the eventual outcome. This is important for you, as you could decide whether you see yourself working there for years to come.

It’s not only for them to decide if you are the right candidate or not. Now, you can also decide if they are the right startup you want to be a part of.